Buggy's on buses

[Cookiechef]

Today me and ds where in town and where waiting to get bus back home.
My ds will be 3 in May and has been diagnosed with autism, he needs a buggy as he refuses to walk or runs on to roads with cars.
Two other mums had buggy's on the bus one of the mums had their baby out of the buggy and I asked politely if she could fold her I could help if she wanted, she point blankly refused and I can't take ds out of his as he has a meltdown on buses if not in the buggy.
I mentioned to the bus driver that ds has a disability that's why he can't get out and he basically told me I had to fold or get off and wait an hour I did get off and get a taxi home which was the last of my money.
I was wondering as we are awaiting a special needs pushchair from wheelchair services, does my ds have a right to get on a bus in his buggy or can I be asked to fold.

don't know where you live but out local authority who subsidise our bus service say buggys and pushchairs are on a first come first served basis unless a wheelchair user gets on, then the driver has to advise the wheelchair user takes priority. the discrimination thing mentioned before doesn't worked as the seats at the front where the ladies park their buggies are actually specially developed for the sole use of physically disabled people when required but can be used by others if not

So I have to get off, wait for another bus and pay for another ticket?

Auntie luckily I hadn't bought my ticket yet but I have heard drivers can refund people that get off, people in wheelchairs can't walk so do get priority and I would expect myself to get off with my ds if one came on a bus I was on.

I am not sure, I am guessing that you should be able to carry your ticket over - that is one of the questions that i asked in my email to the bus company.

The drivers here don't do refunds as far as I know they issue change tickets which you can only cash at the company office. Tbh the drivers are pretty shit so I can't see them letting me carry over a ticket either. So on a 50 min journey theres a chance I could end up having to get off and pay multiple times which completely puts me off using the bus at all. I'm not saying its wrong that wheelchairs have priority but I don't think that situation would be fair either.

Before ds was born we got given a buggy with a carrycot but we bought an easily folding one that was suitable from birth so I could get the bus with it, I did fold when he was younger but since he was 18 months he can't handle not being in his buggy on a bus or he's kicking screaming head banging lying on the floor so I have no choice if a wheelchair gets on but to get off which I agree with but i was upset that the child wasn't in the buggy that the mum could have folded and I would have helped.

So on a 50 min journey theres a chance I could end up having to get off and pay multiple times which completely puts me off using the bus at all. I'm not saying its wrong that wheelchairs have priority but I don't think that situation would be fair either.

Where do you live where they are so many wheelchair users?

See Cookie I would've folded with your help. But people round here aren't very helpful in my experience though I admit I'm new to this (baby isn't here yet) so I'm not sure how I'll manage or how many wheelchair users there are round here. I just want to be prepared to know what to do if the situation did come up.

I think it would depend on the area you live if there would be many people using wheelchairs or special needs buggy's on buses around where I stay there are not many but when I lived in two other city's there where a lot more. At the moment we don't have a special needs buggy so I have to explain but hopefully it won't be the same situation when my ds gets his in the next few weeks.

I'm an occasional wheelchair user, but use my walking frame as much as I can, the first few front seats allow for the frame as well as the wheelchair space here, but sometimes it is difficult because of the amount of shopping trollies on buses to fit it in. I'll hopefully get a scooter sorted as that will mean I can do most journeys about town from home on the scooter, much more freedom than relying on buses.

I think children with disabilities should have as much right as an adult in a wheelchair. I have a disabled bus pass, perhaps children should be awarded them to, along with an awareness card to say they are disabled. Other than that, if you get DLA the award letter could be used in stead, and challenging the bus driver with discrimination, as well as contacting the bus company about their discrimination policy might be able to begin to raise awareness for disabled children with invisible disabilities.

I am sorry op my ds aged four next month is also autistic he is not to bad on bus ,s now and I don't need a buggies any more but I have always found the attitude of pram users disgusting on buses especially those with huge prams with massive wheels who think that they can take up the whole space making it impossible for anybody else to get on within buggie down right selfish!!

I would really welcome some kind of pass so that the driver knows the child is disabled as I said my son does not need a buggies now but he is autistic he is able bodied and does not look ' disabled' but it is a lot easier to use a bus than walk .

Wonder if anyone here is interested in my idea...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2057029-To-suggest-the-next-mn-campaign-targets-views-on-invisible-disabilities?

I would support the campaign to bring people more awareness of all invisible disabilities , until last September I myself did not know anything about autism or other disabilities and I think it would be an eye opener for other people that haven't needed to know anything before but i now know affects so many families across the world.